William Bedford vs. Nikola Jokic Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Nikola Jokic and William Bedford, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

William Bedford played 6 years in the NBA, 3 less than Nikola Jokic, who played 9. William Bedford had the first of his seasons in 1986-87, while Nikola Jokic had his rookie season in 2015-16. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achivements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player
Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
William Bedford 6 3 1986-87 to 1992-93
Nikola Jokic 9 6 2015-16 to 2023-24

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

Rookie Season

William Bedford Nikola Jokic
Season 1986-872015-16
Team Phoenix SunsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford 50 19.6 6.7 1.6 3.3 4.9 1.1 0.4 0.7 1.7 2.5 2.8 7.2 .397 0.0 0.0 .000 1.0 1.7 .581
Nikola Jokic 80 21.7 10.0 2.3 4.7 7.0 2.4 1.0 0.6 1.3 2.6 3.8 7.5 .512 0.4 1.1 .333 1.9 2.4 .811
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------

Season 2

William Bedford Nikola Jokic
Season 1987-882016-17
Team Detroit PistonsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford 38 7.8 2.7 0.7 1.0 1.7 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.5 1.2 1.2 2.7 .436 0.0 0.0 - 0.3 0.6 .565
Nikola Jokic 73 27.9 16.7 2.9 6.9 9.8 4.9 0.8 0.8 2.3 2.9 6.8 11.7 .578 0.6 1.9 .324 2.6 3.1 .825
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------

Note: William Bedford didn't play in 1988-89.

Season 3

William Bedford Nikola Jokic
Season 1989-902017-18
Team Detroit PistonsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford 42 5.9 2.8 0.4 1.0 1.4 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.5 0.9 1.3 3.0 .432 0.0 0.1 .167 0.2 0.5 .409
Nikola Jokic 75 32.6 18.5 2.6 8.1 10.7 6.1 1.2 0.8 2.8 2.8 6.7 13.5 .499 1.5 3.7 .396 3.5 4.2 .850
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford 5 3.8 0.8 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.8 0.2 1.2 .167 0.0 0.0 - 0.4 0.4 1.000
Nikola Jokic ------- --- ----------

Season 4

William Bedford Nikola Jokic
Season 1990-912018-19
Team Detroit PistonsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Pistons Lost East Conf FinalsNuggets Lost West Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford 60 9.4 4.5 0.9 1.3 2.2 0.5 0.0 0.6 0.5 1.3 1.8 4.0 .438 0.1 0.2 .385 0.9 1.3 .705
Nikola Jokic 80 31.3 20.1 2.9 8.0 10.8 7.3 1.4 0.7 3.1 2.9 7.7 15.1 .511 1.0 3.4 .307 3.6 4.4 .821
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford 8 8.1 2.4 1.1 1.6 2.8 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.5 1.8 0.6 3.0 .208 0.0 0.3 .000 1.1 1.8 .643
Nikola Jokic 14 39.8 25.1 3.9 9.1 13.0 8.4 1.1 0.9 2.6 3.9 9.4 18.6 .506 1.6 4.0 .393 4.7 5.6 .846

Season 5

William Bedford Nikola Jokic
Season 1991-922019-20
Team Detroit PistonsDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Pistons Lost East Conf 1st RdNuggets Lost West Conf Finals
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford 32 11.3 3.6 0.8 1.2 2.0 0.4 0.2 0.6 0.5 1.8 1.6 3.8 .413 0.0 0.0 .000 0.4 0.7 .636
Nikola Jokic 73 32.0 19.9 2.3 7.5 9.7 7.0 1.2 0.6 3.1 3.0 7.7 14.7 .528 1.1 3.5 .314 3.4 4.1 .817
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford 1 9.0 6.0 0.0 2.0 2.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 3.0 6.0 .500 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 0.0 -
Nikola Jokic 19 36.5 24.4 1.9 7.9 9.8 5.7 1.1 0.8 3.3 3.6 9.4 18.1 .519 2.2 5.2 .429 3.5 4.2 .835

Season 6

William Bedford Nikola Jokic
Season 1992-932020-21
Team San Antonio SpursDenver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayNuggets Lost West Conf Semis
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford 16 4.1 1.6 0.1 0.6 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.9 0.6 1.7 .333 0.1 0.1 1.000 0.4 0.8 .500
Nikola Jokic 72 34.6 26.4 2.8 8.0 10.8 8.3 1.3 0.7 3.1 2.7 10.2 18.0 .566 1.3 3.3 .388 4.8 5.5 .868
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 10 34.5 29.8 3.7 7.9 11.6 5.0 0.6 0.9 2.4 2.3 11.6 22.8 .509 2.0 5.3 .377 4.6 5.5 .836

Season 7

William Bedford Nikola Jokic
Season -2021-22
Team -Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-NBA First Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Nuggets Lost West Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 74 33.5 27.1 2.8 11.0 13.8 7.9 1.5 0.9 3.8 2.6 10.3 17.7 .583 1.3 3.9 .337 5.1 6.3 .810
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 5 34.2 31.0 3.4 9.8 13.2 5.8 1.6 1.0 4.8 4.0 12.2 21.2 .575 1.0 3.6 .278 5.6 6.6 .848

Season 8

William Bedford Nikola Jokic
Season -2022-23
Team -Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Finals MVP
-Achievement All-NBA Second Team
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -NBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 69 33.7 24.5 2.4 9.4 11.8 9.8 1.3 0.7 3.6 2.5 9.4 14.8 .632 0.8 2.2 .383 4.9 6.0 .822
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 20 39.5 30.0 3.5 10.0 13.5 9.5 1.1 1.0 3.5 3.5 11.4 20.7 .548 1.8 3.8 .461 5.6 7.0 .799

Season 9

William Bedford Nikola Jokic
Season -2023-24
Team -Denver Nuggets
Honors & Awards -Achievement Season MVP
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs -Nuggets TBD
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 79 34.6 26.4 2.8 9.5 12.4 9.0 1.4 0.9 3.0 2.5 10.4 17.9 .583 1.1 2.9 .359 4.5 5.5 .817
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
William Bedford ------- --- ----------
Nikola Jokic 10 40.0 28.8 3.2 10.1 13.3 9.5 1.7 0.7 3.4 2.9 11.1 19.7 .563 1.2 3.9 .308 5.4 6.0 .900